Stars? What stars?

[TPerry]

They say as you get older you get "wiser"... but I'll argue that point.
If that was so... why would one, after jumping off in the deep end of a pool... decide to swim out into the attached bay!.

I'm in the process of accumulating some equipment for several local astronomy groups (schools and then general area). So, since I got a new scope, I just HAD to get a new camera to learn a new processing format. There is a big difference between processing an OSC image (one shot camera - also known as a color camera) and then processing 4-7 captures of the same image but using a different filter.

This is my first attempt with a the new OSC using an Apertura 72mm APO refractor. The image is a portion (albeit large) of the Andromeda Galaxy. I've never processed a color image before.. and this is the first exposure the telescope has to use - it's been sitting boxed for about 2 weeks.

 

[l3ta]

Show us the UFOs!

 

[Mendalla]

Show us the UFOs!

Nah, he's probably part of the conspiracy. Or one of THEM.

 

[TPerry]

Or one of THEM.

Shhh.... that information is strictly limited for distribution. My fellow critters from Alpha Centauri may get mad if it is too widely distributed.
If too many people find out, they may make a raid and take all the available Orville Redenbacher popcorn (and the equipment to make it) back with them.

 

[CedricV]

They say as you get older you get "wiser"... but I'll argue that point.
If that was so... why would one, after jumping off in the deep end of a pool... decide to swim out into the attached bay!.

I'm in the process of accumulating some equipment for several local astronomy groups (schools and then general area). So, since I got a new scope, I just HAD to get a new camera to learn a new processing format. There is a big difference between processing an OSC image (one shot camera - also known as a color camera) and then processing 4-7 captures of the same image but using a different filter.

This is my first attempt with a the new OSC using an Apertura 72mm APO refractor. The image is a portion (albeit large) of the Andromeda Galaxy. I've never processed a color image before.. and this is the first exposure the telescope has to use - it's been sitting boxed for about 2 weeks.

View attachment 280294

Really cool. Makes you wonder how big our universe is.. Do you think there will ever be an answer to that?

 

[TPerry]

Fixed some errors in my image train (we are all beginners at some point), and this is what I have so far on the Horsehead Nebula. Still need to work on more integration of color.

 

[Mendalla]

Really cool. Makes you wonder how big our universe is.. Do you think there will ever be an answer to that?

Not really. The furthest galaxies are now so far away that their light has not reached us and they are receding from us at faster than the speed of light (objects in space cannot move faster than light per Einstein but space itself can expand faster than light) so it never will. However, the visible portion of the universe, ie. what we can actually see from Earth, is a sphere that is something like 93 billion light-years in diameter.

 

[l3ta]

Smarty pants

 

[Mendalla]

Smarty pants

I've been an astronomy/cosmology geek since childhood. My mathphobia kept me from doing astronomy or physics in university but my interest in those fields abides and I follow some good YouTubers who cover them.

 

[TPerry]

Anybody into triplets?

If so, I introduce you to the Leo Triplets.
You might have a long trip to go visit them... they are about 35 million light years away.

 

[TPerry]

Here ya' go... a horses arse showing you a Horsehead in color!
The structure to the left is known as the Flame Nebula.

 

[Mendalla]

Nice picture @Tracy Perry. Getting the Horsehead and the Flame together like that looks lovely.

 

[Brad L]

That's awesome. I've always wanted to get into astrophotography. What was the exposure time on that?

 

[TPerry]

That's awesome. I've always wanted to get into astrophotography. What was the exposure time on that?

180 seconds. It's 60 Ha, 50 SII and 43 OIII filter images stacked.
So total time is about 7.5 hours. The captures were stretched out over a few different nights as I have a limited target view of it due to surrounding trees.